Who is David Datuna?
Born in Tbilisi, Georgia in 1974, and immigrating to the United States, acclaimed artist, David Datuna is a force in the art world today. Having exhibited at prestigious venues, such as Art Basel Miami Beach, Lincoln Center, New York, Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, as well as in various locations in Europe, Russia, and China, he is known to many. Besides all the amazing accomplishments David Datuna has to his credit, his art is really about freedom. If you haven’t heard of him, click here to watch, “Datuna, Portrait of America”.
Mr. Datuna grew up in the USSR. There was no freedom in his birthplace. His father was arrested seven times for just listening to Elvis Presley. even as a young boy, David had unique ideas he knew he would’t be allowed to express living in the USSR. He couldn’t be himself.
What inspires him?
His first job in the United States was selling lenses to people for their eye glasses. It was working here that inspired the use of various sizes, shapes and colors of lenses in his art. He noticed customers would come in, look at the offering of lenses, and everyone would choose something different. Everyone had a different perspective. The lenses represent all the unique ways people see the world, and he used these very lenses in his work.
David Datuna thinks the way to change the world is to change how you think. Change your mentality, and you change your world. Art can cause you to see things through a new set of lenses. It has the ability to change your perspective on things. Art can change the world.
What has he done?
The “Viewpoint of Millions” series shares his unique look into America. In one, he used our flag, and incorporated into that, major events in US history. In that way, he showed us the past, and with the use of the addition of technology, he showed us our future. This experience asks us to look at these things in a new way, literally. It’s interactive and original. It’s David.
One of the events he included in this piece, was a clip showing Ronald Regan telling Gorbichev to “take down that wall”. What makes this particularlly poignant today is that our current president wants to build walls. Artists like David Datuna are needed today to inspire us to continue to fight for freedom, a principal our country was built upon, something, that seems to be forgotten as of late.
David Datuna will be in NYC Washington Square on Friday, May 31st from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm unveiling his new piece, “Cloning Eternity”, a two-part installation of a perfect circle representing the ancient symbol of eternity and a skull representing life. The signature eye glass lenses sculpture create a ‘hall of mirrors’ effect, by reflecting the viewers image, distilling it and refracting it back towards them. This is one experience, yours truly will not be missing, and hopefully, neither will you.